Transportation is now needed to access home ice across town at the new Centre Multisports de Châteauguay or the Kahnawake Ice Complex, which the team spends an extra $2,400 to rent extra ice to fill out its training schedule.

“[There was] no charge from 1992 to 2002,” said Pitts about the cost each student would pay to play when he began coaching the team.

“From about 2003 to 2009, fees were between $75 and $150 [per player].”

With the team’s cost now hovering around $16,000, players will be paying up to $850, a 500 per cent increase within the past decade to competitively play Canada’s favourite sport.

HSB hockey player Patrick Desautels forechecks a Boston Hockey Club defenceman during an exhibition game. May 27, 2017.

Justin Bulman / Global News

Colosimo keeps an open mind about the inflated cost, saying he can give students a valuable lesson in working hard to lower inscription fees through fundraisers.

“I don’t just want the parents to sign a cheque to have the kids play, I want the kids to earn it,” said Colosimo about his blue-collar approach both on and off the ice.

“Not everything is given to you in life; if you want something you have to go out and earn it – that is Billings in my mind.”

Old mitts give back

Since 1977, former players and graduates of the high school organized and hosted annual alumni hockey tournaments in order to raise funds for the program.

As the school produced NHL-calibre talent in Gordie Laxton, Ron Carter, Glenn Currie, Bobby Dollas, Alexandre Bolduc and Crawford, the HSB alumni also tries to get its stars involved with the program whenever schedules allow.

Much like the hockey program, its alumni committee has to adapt to occasional changes.

The HSB Hockey Alumni group built itself throughout the years: in 1979, the late former coach and HSB teacher Gene Rossiter designated Ron Burton as president of the HSB Hockey Alumni Committee.

After a few years of different presidents, such as Blair Bertolini, Samantha Poirier, Scott Berwick and Frank Maoire, Leigh Sawyer eventually took on the role in 2015 and has been running the HSB Hockey Alumni since.

The modern edition of its alumni tournament is held at the Centre Multisports de Châteauguay and draws graduates from the 1970s up to last year.

While the younger guys can play intense tournaments over a two-day span, organizers allow for a non-competitive division; ice-time where life-long teammates can play for fun.

HSB Hockey Alumni Fogies is made up of players who graduated through the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s – for now.

Justin Bulman / Global News

“Its purpose is to raise funds for the current Billings hockey program,” Sawyer said.

“[We want] to assure that the students of today are able to experience the same opportunities the alumni members had while playing for HSB.”

Sawyer and his team raise in the range of $3,000 to $5,000 per year for the HSB hockey program.

But he feels the tournament has dwindled since the closure of the old Guy Scott arena, which was its own special era of alumni tournaments.

“The atmosphere around the tournament has clearly changed. That change seemed to coincide with the closure of our sacred barn, Guy Scott Arena,” Sawyer admitted.

Former editions of the tourney allowed for licensed beer sales to generate income, compared to beer sale revenue going to the privately owned bar at the Centre Multisports de Châteauguay.

The Guy Scott tournaments also featured one game at a time, in comparison to simultaneous games across two different rinks at the new facility.

And although it makes for a different vibe, the HSB hockey program is content with how its alumni continue to help out.

“I’m really happy with the support that the alumni members have been showing,” Colosimo said.

“It makes all the work I have put into this program worth it.”

As the team’s roster turns over annually, along with other surprise changes, the biggest importance in stability is having leaders like Colosimo and Sawyer to carry the school’s hockey tradition.